Apparatus for cushioned bite jumping and the correction of class II malocclusions

Abstract

An improved appliance for correcting Class II malocclusions with automatic adjustment as tooth movement, bone movement, or both occur. Instead of employing screw adjustments as does much of the prior art, the present invention applies correcting forces by means of a spring which expands through a pre-set, compressed distance. A linkage is employed to increase corrective forces while maintaining a reasonable closure effort. The appliance can be made in a variety of sizes for incorporation of longer or stronger springs as is required by a particular case. The relative positions of the components of the appliance can be reversed so that it can also serve to correct some Class III protrusions as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Improved dental appliances to orthodontically and orthopedically correct a retrusive dentition, said appliances to be used in the betterment of Class II malocclusions by being installed in each side of the mouth, each appliance comprising: (a) upper anchoring means to be installed on a suitable upper tooth acting as a molar;   (b) lower anchoring means to be installed on a suitable lower tooth acting as a molar;   (c) an upper link holder rotatably attached to said upper anchoring means;   (d) a lower link holder rotatably attached to said lower anchoring means;   (e) an upper link mounted at one end of its ends to permit planar rotation into and out of said upper link holder;   (f) a lower link mounted at one of its ends so as to permit planar rotation into and out of said lower link holder;   (g) a cylinder closed at one end and pivotably joined at that end to the free end of said upper link;   (h) a piston slidably engaged with said cylinder and pivotably joined at its non-engaged end to said lower link;   (i) an aligning pin mounted through holes in the cylinder and grooves in the sides of the piston so that rotary movement between piston and cylinder is prevented as is pull-out of the piston from the cylinder;   (j) a compression spring fitting within a chamber in said piston and making contact with a recess in the bottom of said cylinder whereby closing the mouth after the appliances are installed causes the linkages to drive the piston into its cylinder in each side of the mouth, compressing the spring and creating downward and forward forces on the lower jaw and thus, in time, aligning the lower row of teeth with the upper row and achieving a corrected occlusal relationship.   
     
     
       2. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 1 in which said upper and lower anchoring means are comprised of metal bands such as are normally used in orthodontistry and tubing sections welded thereto. 
     
     
       3. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 2 in which each set of upper and lower link holders are welded to spindles which fit into and are free to rotate in the tubing sections. 
     
     
       4. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 1 in each of which a first link is mounted rotatably between the upper link holder and one end of said cylinder, a second link is mounted between the lower link holder and the end of said piston and the piston is inserted in the cylinder with a spring between them so as to be free sliding. 
     
     
       5. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 1 in which the spindles and links permit mouth movement in a side-to-side mode as well as in a masticatory mode with only the masticatory movement creating malocclusion-correcting forces. 
     
     
       6. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 1 in which the piston and cylinder assemblies are rotatably mounted between the upper and lower links whereby closure of the mouth first folds the links into their respective holders, then moves the pistons into their cylinders and finally compresses the springs to create forces in the lower jaw in a downwardly and forwardly direction, said forces being gradually and smoothly applied by virtue of the springs' action. 
     
     
       7. Improved dental appliances as described in claim 1 in which the acting directions of said upper and lower links and said cylinders and pistons can be readily altered to provide reversed forces useful in correcting some Class III malocclusions.